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Olympia 2b 1/3 scale**

Let us all watch your new project progress.
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Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Peter Balcombe »

The additional Oly 2b elevator rib now added in addition to the 3/8” Balsa LE (recessed to fit around front ply spar doubler). The LE will be tapered towards the tips & shaped to curved profile later.

The rudder is being fitted with pinless 3/16” hinges plus piano wire hinge to make this large item removeable.
I first fitted an 1/8” balsa layer on the front of the rudder post as a spacer, then dry fitted the rudder side of each hinge with a single length of piano wire as a hinge pin running through lengths of 3/32” tube between each hinge as guide tube. With the hinges pressed in to get the tube sitting against the balsa strip, the tube can then be set in place with a few small blobs of epoxy near each end of each section - being careful to keep the epoxy away from the piano wire.
Strips of 1/8” balsa can then be glued to each side of the tube to cut as a spacer for the forward section of the LE.
The rear hinges can now be removed to leave the holes clear until the full LE has been added & the holes found/ opened & hinge movement clearance slots made. The hinges can be glued in later, using the piano wire hinge pin to position correctly.

Meanwhile, the 3D printed nosecone has been check fitted with the tow release tube & then the inside glassed, M4 nuts fitted inside the fixing lugs & this area securely bonded to the glass layers using thickened epoxy. This unit is now ready to received ballast prior to final fixing to the fuselage.
Modified elevator with LE
Modified elevator with LE
Rudder hinge pin
Rudder hinge pin
Glassed nose cone
Glassed nose cone
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Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Peter Balcombe »

Whilst awaiting a couple of bits needed to complete the elevator linkage, I decided to make a start on the 1st wing structure.
First job was to splice up the main spars & taper the tip section as per the plan, plus epoxy the 3 spar web sections together. With this done, a start was made on the LH wing structure this morning & the pics below show progress made by afternoon cuppa time (even when using Aliphatic glue rather than Cyano).

Note that as per the plan note, the root ribs to R3 must be left until the top & bottom 1/4” Sq rear spar sections have been fitted, otherwise you will not be able to get them in. (They slide through the ribs & the spar is cranked at rib 4).

Also note that the pin hinge holes in aileron hinge web are not on the centreline, so this item needs to be put on with the hole nearer the lower surface. A good check is to make sure that the hole near the aileron servo location lines up with the rib slot.
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Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Peter Balcombe »

The root end of the 1st wing structure is now complete, so just the TE & brakes to do before skinning can commence ;)

One of the shots below shows how the rear spar line is cranked, hence the need to insert the centre wing sections before adding ribs 1-3.

As for the recent ASK13 build, I will be making up the TE from a balsa/0.8mm ply/balsa sandwich strip rather than the solid spruce strip indicated on the plan. My reasoning is that this allows the balsa to be sanded to profile down to the ply strip, giving a much better chance of getting a consistently thick & straight TE.
With the addition of 0.6mm skins (for this build), I obtain the 2mm TE thickness shown on the plan.
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SedB
Posts: 98
Joined: 14 Nov 2019, 09:17
Location: Netherlands

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by SedB »

Looks very promising so far Peter!
In what livery will this one be? I've been thinking of doing a 2B in 'RAF' colors (don't think the RAF it self ever had Olympias..), but haven't found much reference so far. Would be a nice coincidence if that's what you are building. If not, well I'm still staying tuned to this build as I love to see how it comes together!

Daniel
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Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Peter Balcombe »

Hi Daniel,
I think that it will be in the Cirrus blue Empire Test Pilot School livery.
There are 2 fairly recent rebuilds flying, VV400 & VV401.
I built both in 1/4 scale from the Cliff Charlesworth plan a few years ago (see build threads)
Full size
Full size
Model
Model
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Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Peter Balcombe »

Sandwich TE now notched & fitted to both the wing and aileron.
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SedB
Posts: 98
Joined: 14 Nov 2019, 09:17
Location: Netherlands

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by SedB »

Peter Balcombe wrote: 29 May 2021, 20:39 Hi Daniel,
I think that it will be in the Cirrus blue Empire Test Pilot School livery.
There are 2 fairly recent rebuilds flying, VV400 & VV401.
I built both in 1/4 scale from the Cliff Charlesworth plan a few years ago (see build threads)
Yess those are the one's I mean. Thanks, now I know what color is used on these!!
Where these actually ever flow by the Empire Test Pilot School?
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Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Peter Balcombe »

Daniel,
Precise colour is Cirrus Blue BS4800 18E50.
VV400 was faithfully restored using a paint match with a piece of the original fabric.
I think you will find that both VV400 & V401 flew in the ETPS, but this was long ago. The ETPS started in 1943/44, originally being called the Test Pilot School.
I think that VV400 was built in 1946, but is still flying & it is currently based at the Cotswold Gliding Club site at Aston Down near Stroud, U.K.
Peter
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SedB
Posts: 98
Joined: 14 Nov 2019, 09:17
Location: Netherlands

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by SedB »

Many thanks for all the info Peter!!

Daniel
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Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Peter Balcombe »

Daniel,
A few photos of VV400 taken a long time ago in B&W, plus a close up of the ETPS crest & lettering on the rebuilt glider.
Note that the crest & lettering were kindly replicated by forum members for the models I built, so are available for other builds.
Peter.
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